Ban Ki-moon calls for action on climate
Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned on the dangers of climate change, calling on diplomats and country representatives to take global action to tackle the crisis.
"The climate crisis does not take a break or call a timeout," Ban said, urging nonstop commitment to environmental sustainability.
He said that armed conflicts, natural disasters and pandemics do not halt the effects of climate change.
"Crop failures due to droughts and floods, or rising sea levels threatening small island nations, will persist regardless of other global crises," said Ban who chairs the Global Green Growth Institute.
Ban was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the institute's new director-general, Kim Sang-hyup, on Monday.
Kim Sang-hyup, 61, is a KAIST Graduate School of Green Growth professor and former co-chair of Korea's Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth. He previously served as senior presidential secretary for green growth under former President Lee Myung-bak and as president of the Jeju Research Institute.
Kim commenced his four-year term with GGGI on Jan. 1, 2025, and will oversee the institute's secretariat, managing over 270 projects across 50 countries.
Ban expressed his eagerness to collaborate on global green growth and aid efforts, highlighting the GGGI as one of South Korea's two international organizations alongside the International Vaccine Institute.
He also praised Kim's commitment to green policies and affirmed his leadership in advancing GGGI's mission.
"I strongly believe Director-General Kim will provide GGGI with the right direction and innovative solutions to climate change issues," said korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok in a prerecorded speech on video.
Choi also reaffirmed the Korean government's commitment to global green initiatives.
South Korea aims to cut emissions by 40 percent from 2018 levels by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, in his speech at the event, also highlighted urgent climate action needs, pointing to extreme weather, rising seas and environmental degradation as increasingly evident.
'With only five years left until 2030 and only 17 percent of the SDGs' targets currently on track, we must urgently intensify our collective efforts," Cho said.
The SDGs refer to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, global targets adopted by the UN in 2015, including ending poverty, taking climate action, achieving gender equality and promoting peace, justice and strong institutions, by 2030.
"We must respond with innovation and economic transformation," Cho said.
"As the host of both GGGI and the Green Climate Fund, we have committed over $600 million to these organizations, along with significant contributions to the Loss and Damage Fund and the Global Adaptation Fund," he said.
He also mentioned Korea's recent ASEAN-Korea partnership initiative with the GGGI to achieve tangible climate mitigation results.
Meanwhile, Norway's ambassador to Korea, Anne Kari Hansen Ovind, reaffirmed her country's strong partnership with the GGGI, particularly in advancing carbon markets and climate cooperation.
"As Vice-President of the Assembly and Vice-Chair of the Council, Norway stands ready to provide the necessary support to ensure GGGI's success," she stated.
The new director-general vowed to embrace innovation, build unconventional partnerships, and strengthen global collaboration with its 49 member states and 29 partner countries for sustainability.
"My aspiration is not for GGGI to be the largest but to be the most trusted international organization for our member states and partners," Kim said, underlining the GGGI's commitment to leveraging AI-driven services and hydrogen ecosystem development.
The event was attended by over 140 dignitaries, including representatives from the GGGI's member states, partner nations, diplomatic corps, intergovernmental organizations, private sector and the media.
sanjaykumar@heraldcorp.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
10 minutes ago
- Korea Herald
Seoul seeks to ease US fears over platform bill's impact on Big Tech
South Korea's Fair Trade Commission has formally responded to concerns raised by the United States regarding the proposed Online Platform Act, stressing that the legislation will apply equally to all platform operators — both domestic and foreign. In a statement released Thursday, the FTC confirmed that it had delivered an official written response to the US House Judiciary Committee, which last month requested clarification on the potential impact of Korea's platform regulation on American tech firms. 'The bill will be enforced under consistent legal principles and standards without discrimination between domestic and foreign enterprises,' the FTC said. 'This approach will be maintained not only in current law enforcement but also throughout the legislative process.' The antitrust regulator further emphasized that the proposed legislation is still under deliberation in the National Assembly. 'We will collect a wide range of stakeholder opinions and strengthen cooperation between Korea and the United States as the bill progresses,' the statement read. The US House Judiciary Committee previously sent a letter to Korea Fair Trade Commission Chairman Han Ki-jeong last month, signed by Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan and Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform and Antitrust Chair Scott Fitzgerald. The US committee has reportedly expressed concern that Korea's Online Platform Act, modeled after the European Union's Digital Markets Act, could disproportionately target American tech companies such as Google, Apple and Meta. The FTC said that it consulted with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant agencies during the drafting process and reviewed international legislative precedents to ensure transparency and global alignment. The Korean government and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea are reportedly considering a dual-track approach for the platform bill — separating it into two parts: a 'monopoly regulation law' aimed at curbing market dominance, and a 'fairness law' designed to protect small merchants. In light of US sensitivities, the administration is said to be prioritizing the latter while delaying the former. Additionally, the timeline for the bill's formal introduction and parliamentary debate is expected to be pushed back until after the Korea-US summit set for later this month. Rep. Kang Jun-hyeon of the Democratic Party, the ruling party's secretary on the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee, told local reporters on Monday that discussions on the Online Platform Act would take place after the summit. 'We will listen to the views of the presidential office and the government after the summit and then make a decision,' he said.
Korea Herald
2 hours ago
- Korea Herald
S. Korea to be treated as favored nation for US chip tariffs under trade deal: minister
South Korea will be treated as a most favored nation by the United States in terms of semiconductor exports under a bilateral tariff agreement, the trade minister said Thursday, noting that Korean firms will not be subject to 100 percent duties as announced by US President Donald Trump. "If the US semiconductor tariff rate for MFNs is set at 15 percent, South Korea will also enjoy 15 percent tariffs regardless of the rate going up to 100 percent or 200 percent," Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said in a radio interview with broadcaster SBS. "In the trade deal, the US administration promised to grant us MFN status when imposing tariffs on the semiconductor and bio sectors in the future," Yeo added. Yeo's remarks came after Trump said his administration will impose a tariff of about 100 percent on semiconductor imports, which is expected to be officially announced in the coming weeks. Asked whether Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc., two major chip manufacturers in Korea, will not face 100 percent tariffs, Yeo answered, "Yes." Industry and trade experts here expect Washington's tariff rate for chip imports from MFNs to be set at 15 percent as the US agreed to apply 15 percent duties on European products in a trade agreement with the European Union last week. In a trade deal with Korea, the Trump administration did not specify how much tariff it will impose on Korean-made semiconductors, but agreed to grant Seoul the status of MFN in the sector. Under the deal, the US lowered its reciprocal tariffs for Korea to 15 percent from the initially proposed 25 percent and also reduced the tariff rate for Korean cars to 15 percent from 25 percent. In return, Seoul made a pledge to invest a combined US$350 billion in the US for cooperation in the shipbuilding, semiconductor, battery and other key industries, while promising to purchase $100 billion worth of American energy products. Earlier in the day, US tech giant Apple Inc. said it is working with Samsung at the latter's foundry plant in Texas to develop a next-generation semiconductor, which will be used for iPhone devices. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
3 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Unification minister says ending rupture in inter-Korean ties is govt's responsibility
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young has said inter-Korean relations have reached a complete cutoff in recent years, emphasizing that ending the rupture as soon as possible is the responsibility of the Lee Jae Myung administration. Chung made the remarks in a speech delivered online during the World Korea Forum held Wednesday at the University of Nairobi in the Kenyan capital. "Over the past six years, inter-Korean relations have been cut off, with private-level contacts dropping to 'zero,'" Chung said. "Ending this complete cutoff in ties as soon as possible is the responsibility of the new (South Korean) government." The minister emphasized that South and North Korea cannot be two separate countries, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's declaration in 2023 that the two Koreas are "two countries hostile to each other." "As nothing remains unchanged in the world, North Korea's current two-state policy antagonizing the South will eventually change." Chung also emphasized the importance of "consistency" in North Korea policy, noting that inter-Korean relations have swung dramatically between highs and lows depending on changes in the South Korean government. (Yonhap)
